Now that’s more like it!
Fog, fog go away
We’ve been battling the weather all week but it’s finally starting to turn in our favor. Still fighting the fog but on the first run today we discovered that foot of fresh snow had fallen overnight and while not champagne powder it was a far cry from the Sierra Cement we have previously been dealing with. So while we were still having to play and hide and seek with the helicopter, when we did get to land the riding was fabulous and only got better as the day progressed.
Kevin in the pow
One of the advantages of the heli operation at Snowwater is that they have a cat backup in bad weather. So after lunch we jumped into the cat to ski some close in terrain. Now while on Monday, this terrain was a little more tracked than I would prefer, today all the snow had refreshed the runs and provided us with some very sweet powder laden steeps. After a couple of cat runs it was back in the heli and while we couldn’t go far, the snow conditions were now moving into the superb category making for some very happy clients.
Fellow members of the Snowwater 12 step powder program
Sadly, two thirds of the original 12 folks had to leave today. I can thank the gods, Ian McTavish and my support system back home for allowing me to stay for another three days (I was originally supposed to leave today). This evening 8 folks from Rossignol including pro athletes are coming in for some photo shoots so it should be an interesting rest of the trip. We also get all new guides tomorrow which brings a tear to the eye as besides being tremendously hard working and excellent route finders, were also great fun to ride with. I felt particularly blessed as our guide Scott Newsome is the only certified guide in Canada that uses a snowboard to guide with so for once I was led around the mountain by one of my own kind – loved the lines he chose as well as his guiding philosophy.
Snowwater's fearless leader
As I write this it is dumping once again so have high hopes for tomorrow. Either way it’s been a fabulous trip so far as the staff at Snowwater led by the highly entertaining Patric Maloney and his lovely and talented wife Mariah Grant make sure everyone’s having a good time all the time. Been to a lot of heli and cat ops but can safely say that none have as lively or as an engaging an atmosphere as the one that permeates every aspect of the Snowwater operation. As my favorite roommate and staff photographer Kevin Edwards just said to me – “this place has the soul of skiing”. Party on dude!
January 14th, 2010 at 7:06 pm
You know, I was up in my heli today and was thinking, I need my own cat, too. Actually, I was in the deli and Layla doesn’t need any hairballs around the house. My kids are both powder hounds, too, you should see them inhale those bags of little white doughnuts.
Nice to be able to spend three more days, why not just ride out the winter up there? Life is short and there’s only so much champagne powder to be had (Geoffrey and I had quite a bit one Christmas night, but that’s another story). Sounds like you’re having fun, I always knew that growing up in New Jersey, that you were destined to head for the mountains, like a young Jeremiah Johnson. I also hear they grow some good organic produce up in BC, fly the friendly skies!
January 15th, 2010 at 10:40 am
I’m glad you chose Snowwater over Blackwater. I hate it when the terrain is tracked. But in the words of Eric Clapton, “Let it terrain, let in terrain, let your love terrain down on me.”